One day at a time
by dilecto81
Summary: Short, sad tale at Matthew's funeral from the different characters' POV SEASON 3 CS SPOILERS Chapter 2 updated! Wrong chapter uploaded :) Pls review
1. Chapter 1

It had rained all day. Fitting. Anything beside the miserable damp cold would not have been fair. Not today. Through the shimmer of her veil, the Dowager Countess looked across the short distance to where her granddaughter stood. Like a marble pillar, face void of any emotion, Mary stood with her head downcast starring off to nothing. In the moment Violet no longer listened to the drone of the minister, nor the rain as it fell. Her heart broke for Mary. Waves of emotion coursed through her as memories of the loss of her own husband resurfaced. At least she lived a long life with her love, was able to celebrate a full life with him. Tears once again burned Violet's eyes as her gaze shifted to the bundle held gently in her daughter-in-laws arms. Cora stood next to Mary, her own tears falling unashamedly through closed eyes as she tried to reign in her own grief.

Violet thought for a moment as Cora shifted the little one slightly, and was further saddened to realize that she had not seen Mary hold her son since the day in the hospital.

Violet had been the last of the family to see her. When she walked into the small hospital room, she was surprised at what she saw. "How long has she been asleep?" She quietly asked Anna, immediately noticing the redness in the younger woman's eyes.

Quickly whipping her cheeks, Anna bowed before responding. "Not long m'lady. But she will have to be woken soon to feed the little one." Violet nodded sadly before moving over to her side. She patted Anna's clasped hands, using them slightly as she lowered herself onto the side of the bed.

"My dear, would you bring him here?" Voice lost to emotion, Anna nodded before turning to pick up the baby. Violet reached up and gently moved a strand of hair that had fallen across Mary's face. "Mary? Mary you must get up now."

"Why?" Came a quite, cold response. Mary opened her eyes and turned to face her grandmother. Taken a back slightly, Violet regained her posture.

As if on cue, a hungry cry started to fill the room. "You son is hungry m'lady." Violet turned as Anna moved to lay the baby in Mary's arms. The absence of emotion on Mary's face as she brought the babe closer to her, broke Violet's tough British resolve. Fearing an embarrassing display of emotion, she thought it better to withdraw. "I shall leave you to it." Before turning to leave she bent and pressed a kiss to her granddaughters' forehead. As soon as she left the room, she braced herself against the wall to regain her composure.

The soft thud of dirt against wood brought Violet back from her revere. As people took their turn to softly deposit dirt into Matthew's grave, Violet once again looked toward Mary. Many briefly stopped to offer their condolences, some, unaware what to say, simply turned to leave. Violet started to move around to the other side of the grave. Robert turned to her, offering a supportive arm.

"Oh, no thank you my dear. If I may?" She turned to hand her cane to the servant holding the umbrella over her, and then extended her arms to Cora. After momentarily being taken aback, Cora stepped forward, handing her the baby. For the first time that day, Violet broke into a smile as she noticed the boy awake and looking at her with dark blue eyes. "Thank you. Now…I will need a moment with my granddaughter." Cora took Roberts arm as they turned away, and headed towards the car.

As Violet approached, Mary turned her head towards her, but not making eye contact. Unaware of what to say first, Violet looked down at the babe who was once again sleeping. "Him, to answer your question." Mary looked at her grandmother in confusion.

"What question?"

"In the hospital, when I came to visit you. I woke you, and you asked me why." She took a step closer to her and held out her arms. "Fate has robbed your son of his father. He needs you now twice as much." Mary finally looked her in the eyes, and Violet was moved by her emotion and pain. As a single tear slipped out and down her face, Mary moved to hold her son.

"At least Matthew got to meet him." At that the walls broke, and the tears Mary had been holding in began to fall uncontrollably, and she silently sobbed clutching her son closer. Violet moved and hugged her, rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her. "Oh granny, I can't do this. I can't do it without him."

"My poor girl." Violet pulled back. "One never knows how strong you are until you have no choice but to be strong."

"But how am I ever going to get through this alone?"

"I know scores of family can never replace him, nor fill the void in your heart. But Mary, you will never be alone. Your parents and I, and even Edith, all want to help in any way we can." She knew it was little comfort. She also knew there was nothing to say that could be comforting.

"Without him." Mary looked back to Matthew's grave. "He'll never kiss me again, hold me again, nor make me laugh again." She raised a hand to muffle her sob. "How will I ever live my life without him?" By now Violet's cheeks were tear-stained, and her hand moved from Mary's shoulder to around her waist drawing her against her side.

"A lifetime is overwhelming to think about. You will survive this." Mary looked back at her. "One day at a time, my dear. One day at a time."

AN: This was inspired by the season 4 promo pic of Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary). Hope you enjoyed! Constructive criticism welcome J


	2. Chapter 2

The rain would not let up. Since the morning all it had done was pour, the heavens letting loose their tears as yet an other young heir was laid to rest. An other. Cora could not help but let out a soft, anguished sigh. First James and Patrick, then their baby boy, and now Matthew. Feeling an other wave of grief, she squeezed her eyes shut in a vein attempt to stop the flow of tears from streaming down her face. She pulled the babe in her arms closer to her, envious of the fact that he was oblivious to what was around him.

So much of this brought memories of Sybil's funeral back, painfully forcing themselves into Cora's focus, and the wound was reopened. It was as if her shoulders now bore such a great weight, she sagged forward. Had it not been for the supportive arm of her husband gently around her shoulders, Cora feared she would fall down. The babe in her arms shifted in his sleep, a small bubbley sigh escaping his perfect miniature mouth. She softly wiped the small bubbles from his mouth, smiling slightly in-spite of her internal pain.

As Mr. Travis continued to read from Psalm 23, and as she softly rocked the sleeping bundle, Cora let her mind go back to that horrible moment, standing outside Mary's room as she and Robert struggled to find a way to tell their daughter that her husband was not coming back.

They stood in the hall of the hospital, the baby's soft cry breaking their stunned reverie. "Good God, how are we to tell her?" Roberts asked before lifting a hand to wipe the rouge tears off his cheeks. Standing perfectly still, afraid that if she were to move she would fall, Cora simply looked towards the slightly open door to Mary's room. "How-what could we possibly say..."

Taking a deep breath, Cora moved to hold her husbands arm. "I think we first need to realize that there's no 'better' way of saying it." Robert sadly turned to look at her. "We will tell her, and hold her as her world breaks around her." Cora's voice cracked and broke with emotion, her own tears finally falling. Taking her hand, Robert slowly nodded and led them into the room.

While Cora was not an overly religious woman, she knew that it had to be by the grace of the Almighty that she was able to endure what happened next. Inside, Mary was happily humming to her son in her arms, a soft smile graced her features as she held a little hand in her own. As she looked up to the door and saw her parents, the atmosphere shifted, and a shadow seemed to cover the room. Cora did not hear Roberts words, she went to her daughters side, grasped her one of her hands as if to pass strength from her to her daughter. It will forever be burned into Cora's memory, the range of emotions she watched play over Mary's face, and she would have given anything to spare her daughter this.

The soft thud of dirt against wood brought Cora back to the present. She felt her husbands arm tighten around her back, and she opened her eyes as people came over to offer their condolences. Some went to go to Mary to speak with her directly, but as their words left them, they simply turned to leave. Cora did not think less of them because of it. She knew far too well how they felt.

As she turned back to her husband, she saw her mother in law slowly walking towards them, the slick mud making her steps more careful than usual. Robert dutifully held out his arm as support, but Violet shook her head. "Oh, no thank you my dear. If I may?" It took Cora a moment before realizing that Violet was talking to her with her arms extended. After momentarily being taken aback, Cora stepped forward, handing Violet the baby. Cora saw a brief crack in her mother in laws British composure as the corners for her mouth turned into a small smile. "Thank you. Now…I will need a moment with my granddaughter." Nodding, Cora slipped her arm through her husbands and started to walk towards the car. Before reaching the road, they stopped under a large oak and turned to look back.

"Oh Cora, how are we to help her through this?" Roberts question was almost a whisper. She watched as the baby was passed to Mary, and tears burned Cora's eyes. "Our family seems to be shrouded in death and grief." Cora clutched his hand and leaned into his side for more support. "We can't relate to this kind of loss, and I fear our inexperience will only make things harder for her."

Cora didn't have an answer. Oh how she wished she did! While they had to endure the loss of a child, Cora could not imagine the overwhelming, hollowing grief that racked her darling daughter. She knew Mary's road ahead would be unbearable, every moment of the day consumed with grief, all the while raising her son. She also knew that no matter what, Mary would not be alone. She will be there for her daughter, and help in whatever way she can to ease her pain. 'How can we help her through this?' Robert's question flashed through her mind. Whatever it takes. One day at a time.

I couldn't help but try and write the funeral from others pov. There might me others to come, but who knows :) Let me know what you think!


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